Alcohol makes you pee more, which can lead to dehydration. Dehydration is what causes many of the symptoms of a hangover.

Hangover cures are generally a myth. There are no cures for a hangover, but there are things you can do to avoid one and, if you do have one, ease any discomfort.

Tips to avoid a hangover

To avoid a hangover:

Don't drink more than you know your body can cope with. If you're not sure how much that is, be careful.

Don't drink on an empty stomach. Before you go out, have a meal that includes carbohydrates (such as pasta or rice) or fats. The food will help slow down the body's absorption of alcohol.

Don't drink dark-coloured drinks if you've found you're sensitive to them. They contain natural chemicals called congeners, which irritate blood vessels and tissue in the brain and can make a hangover worse.

Drink water or non-fizzy soft drinks in between each alcoholic drink. Carbonated (fizzy) drinks speed up the absorption of alcohol into your system.

Drink a pint or so of water before you go to sleep. Keep a glass of water by the bed to sip if you wake up during the night.

Hangover treatment

If you wake up the next morning feeling terrible, you probably didn't follow our advice.

Dealing with a hangover involves rehydrating the body to help it deal with the painful symptoms. The best time to rehydrate is before going to sleep after a drinking session.